Why Should You Prep Before You Start Cooking?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply come home and throw a few things together for a stellar dinner meal? It’s possible for you and your family when you begin to implement the art of meal prepping.

Plan your meals. Meal planning is the precursor to meal prepping. Once you plan what you will eat, then you can get everything ready. Children especially can have a say in what you eat. They can be such picky eaters you know.

Have you ever calculated how much money you spend eating out? It really adds up quick. That same money could be used for groceries and stretch a lot further. Give your kids a taste of what fresh, natural foods taste like, instead. It all starts with meal planning and prepping.

What is Meal Prepping?

Basically, this process involves preparing foods as much as possible in advance of the actual meal. For dinner, it entails cutting, chopping, cubing or slicing ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. Meats can be pre-cooked for casserole dishes and specialty themes like taco or fajita night. Spices can also be measured and placed in a Ziploc baggie or small container to be added to the food as it is cooked.

Prep is often done on a weekly basis. If done too far in advance, ingredients may spoil. This method works for snacks and other meals besides dinner.

Meal Prepping Provides Healthier and Tastier Food

Just like anything else, meal prepping takes time but the benefits far outweighs any perceived inconvenience. Your waistline and your family will thank you. Here are a few reasons why this step is so important to a healthy lifestyle change.

Meal prepping prevents sabotage – When you’ve picked up the kids from practice after getting off work late, everyone is tired. Dinner is easy to get ready in less than 30 minutes when most of the ingredients are already either pre-cooked or portioned out.

Saves money – You use your meal planning shopping list to buy what you need. Prepping also makes dinner at home still more appealing than eating out.

Healthier foods – What’s in that fast food burger? When you prep food at home, you can see exactly what goes into each dinner you fix and can assess each ingredient for the healthiest and tastiest meals your family can enjoy.

Brings families together – When less time is spent cooking, more can be spent eating and talking around the dinner table. Family time is truly that because you have done the hard work ahead of time.

Teaches healthy habits to children – Eating well isn’t just a fad but a lifestyle choice. Show your kids how to develop good habits that last a lifetime.

Becky is an interior designer, an adjunct professor, a foodie, a product reviewer and a gluten free blogger in Detroit, Michigan. Week99er is a family friendly site featuring products, events and recipes for your family. Contact her at [email protected]